Vegan Burger Buns (Soft and Fluffy)
These Vegan Burger Buns are soft, fluffy and easy to make! I share easy step by step tips to guide you through, and show you how to freeze them so you can enjoy fresh burger buns every time!
As someone who loves veggie burgers, I love creating the perfect complete burger. First of course, there is the actual burger. Juicy, flavourful and hot. Then of course, the toppings. I love a classic lettuce, tomato and vegan cheese with some mustard and some vegan mayo (plus, I always had hot sauce). Then last, but certainly not least, the bun. Everything else could be perfect, but the bun is really what takes it over the top and can make or break your burger experience. Pillowy soft, buttery, and fluffy perfection! Today I’m sharing my favourite burger buns with you!
Making bread, pizza and naan in quarantine really prepared me for making these burger buns. In fact, when writing this recipe I realised that the instructions were nearly identical to my pizza dough recipe up until splitting the buns. Isn’t it incredible that learning a skill such as bread making can be transformed into so many different dishes?
I based this recipe on my no knead bread, and implemented elements to keep them soft and fluffy, while keeping the process to make them relatively simple.
Let’s get into the tips you’ll need to make these divine burger buns.
Expert Tips & FAQ
- Firstly, these burger buns have a rise stage, and proof (a second rise essentially). These separate rises actually help to make these pretty foolproof and help create their beautiful rounded shape. You don’t want to skimp on rising time or skip either, because they result in the ultimate end product.
- Always have some bench flour with you in a small container while kneading the dough – which just means extra flour. If you live in a humid climate like me, you may end up needing up to an extra ¼ cup flour while kneading. If not, perhaps only 2 tablespoons extra. The recipe is designed in a way that it’ll still turn out incredible either way.
- Speaking of kneading, kneading here is key. Kneading helps to work the gluten, which is crucial for the texture and pull of these buns. I always set a timer while kneading, and throw on a show so the time goes by faster. To knead, you want to fold the dough over onto itself, then push into a ball. Fold and push. You want to really work at it because those ten minutes of needing will make all the difference.
- Always test that your yeast is still working and fresh! I have a post on how to ensure your yeast is still good to help with that.
- Lastly, use a scale to weigh out your ingredients. It makes such a difference with accuracy and also comes in handy if you want to create equal sized buns.
- I don’t recommend skimping on the oil in this recipe. I like to think of it as the natural dough conditioner, and it helps to yield these incredibly soft buns. My preferred oil of choice here is olive oil, but you can use any other kind.
Related Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make these Vegan Burger Buns, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Burger Buns
Ingredients
- 4 ¾ cups all purpose flour + extra for kneading, (570g)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, (24g) or liquid such as maple syrup or agave
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast, (about 1 packet) (7g)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, (12g)
- 1 ½ cups warm water (not hot - warm to touch) , (354mL) ranging between 110 to 120°F
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, (60mL) or any oil
Vegan Egg Wash
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened vegan milk, (44mL) preferably one with a high protein content
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or agave syrup, (6.75g) use only ½ teaspoon if you don't want any hint of sweetness on your buns
- 1 teaspoon regular mustard , (5g) or dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon mix of sesame seeds, for topping
Instructions
Burger Buns
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Whisk the ingredients together.
- Create a well in the centre of the flour. Slowly add the warm water and olive oil to the dry ingredients, and then mix together with a spatula until just incorporated. The dough should look shaggy.
- Flour a clean surface, and then pour/add the dough onto the surface. Flour your hands and fold the dough together. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes with your hands and knuckles. The dough might be sticky at first, but you can add up to ¼ cup flour while flouring and kneading to make it easier to manage. You want the end dough ball to be smooth, with slight dimples with a bit of tension formed.
- Lightly grease the ball of dough with some additional oil and place back into the bowl in a ball. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let it sit for at least 1 hour on the counter in a warm area. If your kitchen is too cold, you can place it in your OFF oven with the pilot light on which will provide enough residual heat for it to rise. The dough should rise and double in size.
- Punch down the dough and fold over.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal balls and roll each into a ball. Using your fingers, pinch and pull the undersides to shape each ball round. Now would be a great time to check out my highlight on Instagram where I video'd this for clarification! But you essentially want to make them round.
- Line up the balls, about 4 inches apart if you don't want them to spread into one another/touch, on one or two baking sheets (depending on the size or your baking sheet - you want them decently spread out since they'll puff up, then spread again while baking).
- Cover with a light kitchen towel and allow the balls to proof/rise for another 45 minutes.
- You can also begin preheating your oven to 400°F/200°C within the last 20 minutes so it's ready when they're done rising.
- Using a silicone brush/pastry brush, brush the vegan egg wash over the buns and the sides. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top and any other seeds you might desire.
- Bake your buns for 15 minutes in the oven. Remove, and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to your cooling rack. Allow to cool fully. The buns also get much softer once they begin to cool.
- Slice, tear, slather in butter, and enjoy!
Vegan Egg Wash
- Mix the vegan milk, maple syrup/agave and the mustard thoroughly together to combine. If you don't want any sweetness, you can lower this to 1/2 teaspoon maply syrup/agave. You don't have to use all of the vegan egg wash, just as much as you desire for a golden brown top.
Notes
HOW TO FREEZE
Line the buns up on a baking sheet once fully cooked. Place in your freezer and flash freeze for about an hour. Once the hour has passed, you can stack the buns in a freezer safe bag so they won't stick. To thaw, bring to room temperature, then lightly toast in your toaster oven, on your stovetop, or in your air fryer.Expert Tips & FAQ
- Firstly, these buns have a rise, and proof (a second rise essentially). These separate rises actually help to make these pretty foolproof and help create their beautiful rounded shape. You don't want to skimp on rising time or skip either, because they result in the ultimate end product.
- Always have some bench flour with you in a small container while kneading the dough - which just means extra flour. If you live in a humid climate like me, you may end up needing up to an extra ¼ cup flour while kneading. If not, perhaps only 2 tablespoons extra. The recipe is designed in a way that it'll still turn out incredible either way.
- Speaking of kneading, kneading here is key. Kneading helps to work the gluten, which is crucial for the texture and pull of these buns. I always set a timer while kneading, and throw on a show so the time goes by faster. To knead, you want to fold the dough over onto itself, then push into a ball. Fold and push. You want to really work at it because those ten minutes of needing will make all the difference.
- Always test that your yeast is still working and fresh! I have a post on how to ensure your yeast is still good to help with that.
- Lastly, use a scale to weigh out your ingredients. It makes such a difference with accuracy and also comes in handy if you want to create equal sized buns.
- I don't recommend skimping on the oil in this recipe. I like to think of it as the natural dough conditioner, and it helps to yield these incredibly soft buns. My preferred oil of choice here is olive oil, but you can use any other kind.
- For step by step photos of the dough, check out my no knead bread post
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
They turned out perfect, can‘t believe how soft they were once cooled. Thank you for this recipe!
Aww thanks so much Ame, so happy to hear this!! You’re so welcome!!
So soft and yummy! I had some golden crisco leftover from another project so I used that for the butter-y oil…
Hot tip: leftover eggless wash went straight into the mix for the mayo to top our burgers, so nothing wasted there.
Love that you didn’t waste anything Sara! Thanks so much for your kind words.
This is an amazing bun recipe! These went perfect with beyond burgers but were just as tasty on their own/with some butter.
Thanks so much Michelle we’re so happy to hear this.
This is my new go-to recipe. It’s soft, delicious, and EASY. I bake my own bread but I’m not skilled in any way. Did I underwork this? Was my dough too sticky? Did I over proof? Probably, but my buns were still fantastic (and flavorful)! The flavor and texture were wonderful. I omitted the egg wash and put the buns straight into the oven and they still turned out great.
Mine did come out a bit under baked, so if you know your oven usually takes a bit longer like mine does, you might want to try baking for 17 minutes. I think this is just a difference in oven performance and not an issue with the recipe.
Thanks so much Ben! We’re happy that you enjoyed it!
Hi! Just preparing to try these out! However, I don’t have any maple/agave syrup at hand, so what would you suggest to be the best substitute, granulated sugar, dusting sugar, honey? Thats about all I have at home right now:)
Hi Dario,
For the topping any liquid sweetener should work too! Hope you enjoy so much!
I love veggie burgers but is so hard to find good buns with no preservatives. So I decide to make my own buns and try this recipe. It was very easy and the came out really great! Thanks for sharing! Next time I will post a picture as well
Awesome Penelope! We’re so happy that you enjoyed it.
Wondering how many you think I might be able to make if they are in slider form and not regular hamburger bun shape?
Hmm interesting question. We haven’t tested this yet but I would assume a slider is about a 1/2 to 2/3 s of the current size. I’m assuming that you should be able to get in the ball park of about 12-15. I hope this helps.
Fantastic, perfect, just what we needed for our veggie burgers tonight. Easy to make. Thank you so much!
We’re so happy that we could help Janie! Thanks so much for the review.
I have made these REPEATEDLY and they always turned out amazing. I have “wow”-ed two separate groups of guests and even – wait for it – my potential in-laws! They are actually so easy to make so I encourage everyone considering this to try it out.
My note for you guys would be – I always have “vegan egg wash” leftovers. So for me, less is better (not to prepare a whole shotglass-full because then i have leftovers and I have to throw them out).
SO GOOD THO! Seriously, I saved this recipe for posteriority, like I want my grandchildren to make these.
Thanks so much for reading and trying this Petra. We’re happy that you’re happy.
This recipe is like Jesus; it never failed me yet. I often add about a tablespoon of gluten flour for extra spring. Bakery quality every time. Thank you so much!
Haha thanks so much Nell! We’re happy that you think so highly of our recipe!